shake the glitter off your clothes now
by Melika Elena
Summary: "We go to Vegas," Gale said, "and we convince Katniss and Peeta that they shouldn't get married and they belong with us." Madge stared at him for a long moment before rolling her eyes. "Has Posy been forcing you to listen to Taylor Swift again?" Gadge AU
1. 1 - 8

**shake the glitter of your clothes now**

_Gadge January Prompt: Roadtrip _

**1. **

"I'm getting married."

Gale choked on his Heineken. "What the fuck, Catnip?"

Katniss sighed. "I know you heard me, Gale."

"Shit," Gale said, putting the bottle down roughly on the table, and then, remembering his mother, sighed and got up to get a coaster. "You're getting married to The Baker?"

He could_ feel_ her scowl through the phone. "His name is _Peeta_, Gale," Katniss said sternly. "Peeta Mellark? Oh, I don't know, he grew up in the same town as us and we went to elementary, middle, and high school together? You've known him for years. Your mother gets bread from his family's bakery every Sunday."

"Right." Gale bit out. "Well, that's… I mean, isn't this a little fast, Catnip? You guys have only been dating for… god, how long has it been?"

"A year," Katniss said dully. "And we've known each other since we were five, so no, Gale, this isn't 'a little fast'. God, what is your problem?"

_I'm in love with you_, he wanted to say. _I've been in love with you since high school when we dated for six months and I always thought we would end up together_. Then, _fuck, I'm pathetic._

"Nothing," he said, sighing. "Nothing, I was just surprised." _Coward. _"Congratulations, Catnip. I'm—I'm happy for you and The Baker—_Peeta_. Peeta. When's the wedding?"

Silence.

"Catnip?" Gale frowned.

"Three weeks."

"Um… _what?"_

"Peeta and I don't want to wait," Katniss said. "And it's best to do it during the break in between my grad school semesters and…Gale?" He'd been quiet for a while.

"I'm surprised that Mellark doesn't want some big-ass wedding," Gale said stiffly.

"He does," Katniss admitted. "You know I don't give two shits. But this is our compromise, you know? So we're just going to do it quickly. In Vegas."

"_Vegas_?" He couldn't imagine Katniss and Vegas in the same vicinity.

"It's a good central point for our families and friends to meet on such short notice," Katniss explained. "Believe me, it wasn't our first… or second… or third choice. But it's worth it, you know? Because we'll be getting married. Will you be able to come?" Gale hadn't heard her talk this much since they got drunk on her 21st.

Gale took a long swig of Heineken, shaking his head. This was a circus. But she was his best friend. "Yeah," he said, passing his hand over his forehead. "I'll be there."

"Thank you, Gale," Katniss said quietly.

"Anything for you, Catnip," he said tiredly.

**2.**

"Another whiskey, Hawthorne?"

"Make it a double," he groaned, face down on the bar and palm up, like a fucked up, quarter-life crisis version of Heads Up, Seven-Up.

"I think you've had enough tonight," Bristel, the bartender of the Slag Heap, Gale's favorite bar, said, shaking his head.

"Look," Gale said, lifting his head up. "The girl who I thought would be my wife is marrying someone else. I think I deserve a double tonight, and I'm calling a cab."

Bristel laughed, shaking his head. "So this is how the Slag Heap Slut falls."

"What the fuck?" Gale said, straightening. "Who the hell calls me that? Everyone? Is this a _thing_?"

"Well, maybe not everyone," Bristel conceded. "Another regular coined it and it kind of stuck. So, really, only the bartenders and other regulars know you by that. And whomever they tell it to. And all the girls you've slept with. So not everyone… but almost. Come on, you have to admit, Gale, it's kind of true. You're like Joseph Gordon Levitt in that one movie where he picks up girls all the time."

"If this is where you tell me I end up with Julianne Moore, I'm out of here," Gale said, disgusted. "I had a tyrannical principal who looked just like her."

"Well, if makes you feel any better, there's a Scarlett Johansson-type who's been nursing a drink at the end of the bar all night," Bristel said. "Maybe you should go talk to her."

Gale looked to where Bristel tipped his head. This girl was no Scarlett Johansson, by any means. To Bristel's credit, the girl at the end of the bar _was _gorgeous, though in a very different way. Long blonde hair—unlike Scarlett's, it's natural—good figure, not incredibly voluptuous, like Scarlett's, but there's something about her. At first glance, she's an Ice Queen, too effortlessly put together to be real, but there's too much Girl Next Door about her to make her completely unapproachable.

Gale didn't need one glance to tell him this, because the Girl at the Bar was one he'd known for years: Madge Undersee, best friend of Peeta Mellark, Katniss's fiancé. And she looked like she had a similar goal to his: get as wasted as possible.

Sighing, Gale made his way over to sit down next to her. "Of all the joints," he said.

Madge side-eyed him. "Hawthorne, what the hell do you want?"

Gale put his hands up. "Whoa, Ice Queen's a little feisty today. What's wrong, Princess? Too much contact with the peasants today?"

"Yep," Madge said, deliberately sliding away from him. "Sounds about right."

Gale wanted to be offended but he was too busy hiding a grin. Usually Madge was impeccably polite, mature, and unruffled by him, so it must mean she's really drunk to be firing back. Under normal circumstances he and Madge fought like cats and dogs, but he absolutely loved Sassy Undersee.

It's just their luck that after five years of not seeing each other since high school she gets a job where he lives. And Chicago's a big town, right? Especially considering they came from the same bum-fuck of a town in Virginia.

Wrong.

So they ran into each other more often than they should have and had a few mutual friends and a mutual love of the Slag Heap, because cosmopolitan singles they were, but at heart, they missed their trashy dive bars and pubs.

But they didn't like each other. They rarely agreed on anything, to the amusement of their friends, who didn't understand why they didn't just sleep with each other and resolve the UST (although both vehemently denied the presence of any UST, so it was pointless, really).

They only got along when intoxicated, although the downside was that they rarely remembered what great times they did have together, even when shown incriminating evidence via their friends' smart phones.

"So what is it, Princess?" Gale asked. "I normally don't see you with anything other than a pink-colored drink and this is clearly," he picks it up and smells it. "Gin. Damn_,_ Undersee! You're balling hard tonight."

"The man I love is getting married," Madge intoned dully, turning her head towards him and then squinting in realization. "To your best friend."

Gale was taking a swig of his whiskey when she said this and started to choke. He really needed to stop drinking alcohol when any female was speaking.

"You're in love with Peeta Mellark?" Gale sputtered. "_Really?_" He shook his head and muttered under his breath, "What the fuckis _with _that guy."

"Yep," Madge slurred, popping the 'p'. "They're getting married. In three weeks. In Vegas! Peeta _hates _Vegas. We went there one spring break in college and he got food poisoning at a buffet and lost four hundred dollars on _one machine_. He said he'd never go back! Does Katniss know that? She should know that," Madge babbled. "I mean, she's his fiancé, right? And so what if she ignored him for like, twenty years of their lives and I've been his best friend since we were seven? She should still know that fact. She should—she should—know _everything_ about him."

Gale stared. Undersee was freaking out. A full-blown, out-of-control, Undersee freak-out. Holy shit. The world was turning upside down.

"God, how am I going to stand there while the man I love marries—okay, you know I like Katniss, right? I do like her, but there's no one who knows Peeta like I do—and I'm just supposed to stay _quiet_ when they say that one line about people holding their peace—"

Gale downed the rest of his drink. If he wasn't drunk he would never think this was a good idea, but damn did it sound appealing now. "Who says we have to stay quiet?"

Madge squinted at him. "What?"

"Who says we have to stay quiet?"

"What do you mean," Madge said, still squinting. She might have been seeing four of him.

"We go to Vegas," Gale said, "and we convince Katniss and Peeta that they shouldn't get married and they belong with us."

Madge stared at him for a long moment before rolling her eyes. "Has Posy been forcing you to listen to Taylor Swift again?"

"It's creepy that you talk to my little sister," Gale deadpanned, though he was entirely serious, "you know that, right?"

"It's not that creepy," Madge muttered. "I'm her best shot at an older female confidante. I can't help it if she finds your mother too intimidating and omniscient and Prim is out of the state in undergrad and Katniss wouldn't know the meaning of 'femininity' if it hit her in the face."

Gale started to laugh at the last part. "It's still creepy," he said.

"She friended me on Facebook first, okay?" Madge held up her hands in surrender.

"Posy has _Facebook_?" Gale started to turn red.

"Gale, focus," Madge snapped her fingers in front of him. "What were you saying earlier? You had some girly, Katherine Heighl-esque plan to ruin your best friend's wedding? Wait, that's a different movie."

"That's offensive," Gale said. "Even I know Katherine Heigl movies suck. And secondly, it's a good idea. Come on, we have nothing to lose. Well, except the loves of our lives. And I won't lose Katniss to the Pillsbury Dough Boy. Are you in, Undersee?"

"You are so drunk right now," Madge said, downing the rest of her gin, and, to her credit, not even making a face afterwards. "But, in the slim chance that I remember this in the morning… I'm in."

"Way to go, Undersee," Gale grinned. "You're braver than I thought."

Madge waved down Bristel for her tab. "You don't know the first thing about me, Hawthorne," she smirked.

Gale stared at her pink lips for a moment, curving in the naughtiest smile he had ever seen. It was sort of hypnotizing, and it took him a few moments before he could look away.

Gale had the feeling there was a lot about Madge Undersee that he had never known before… and he was about to find out what it was.

**3.**

"You're crazy," moaned a hungover Madge the next morning. "Hawthorne, are you _shitting _me right now? I thought that plan was alcohol-induced."

"Well it's good to see the re-emergence of Sassy Undersee," Gale noted, completely ignoring her. "I thought she only came out when drunk."

"You're insufferable," said Madge, ignoring his comment. "And that plan is _stupid._ It's not going to work."

"It's not stupid, it's simple and genius, and come on, Undersee, I thought you were brave. Shouldn't you have confessed your feelings to the Muffin Man years ago?"

Madge put a damp washcloth on her forehead. "Do you just sit around and think up insulting names for Peeta?"

"No, they just come to me," Gale said. "I'm actually very proud of it."

"And the worst part is, I don't even think you're joking."

Gale wasn't, but he wouldn't admit that. "Undersee. Be brave. What do you have to lose?"

"I don't know, Hawthorne, maybe just the longest and best friendship of my entire life?"

"You know my motto, Undersee—" Gale began.

"Hit it and quit it?" Madge snarked.

"Big risk, big reward," Gale said. "So are you in? Think about what happens if—no, _when_ we succeed."

"Fine," Madge sighed, thinking about she and Peeta being together. For real. The way she had always wanted. "I'm in. Let's do this."

**4. **

They were supposed to fly out together and get there a day ahead of Peeta and Katniss to go over the details of their plan, but when one's best friends were getting married three weeks away, airfare from Chicago to Vegas was astronomical. Especially when their wedding was during Spring Break. So instead they left two days earlier and drove from Chicago to Vegas instead.

"It's really the most inconvenient wedding on the planet," Gale said as Madge started up her Prius. He wanted to take his truck because it was roomier but, as Madge pointed out, this was way more economical.

And she was right. So Gale pushed his seat all the way back and put his duffle bag in Madge's sorry excuse for a trunk. He had to admit that he was impressed that Madge packed so light, taking only a carry-on sized suitcase, although to be fair she wouldn't have had room for anything else in her trunk.

"It's another sign that they shouldn't be together," Madge agreed, plugging in her iPhone.

"Please don't tell me we're going to have to listen to some girly mix," Gale groaned as Madge flipped through her playlists.

"I don't know if it's girly," Madge said, "but I will admit that your sister made this playlist specifically for this trip."

"I can't believe my baby sister makes you _playlists_," Gale said. "It's weird."

"A little bit," Madge admitted as she headed to the freeway. "But, you know, I really enjoy our talks."

Gale looked at her in amazement. "Really? You're not bored by middle school gossip and people you don't even know?"

"It's nice," Madge said quietly. "Growing up, my mom and aunt were really close, and it just sucks that my mom could never have kids after me. I've always… I've always wished I had siblings, you know? It's lonely being an only child."

Gale's silent for a moment. "I know she likes talking to you," he said seriously. "And my mom likes it that she has you, but uh, she does expect you to tell her if Posy's doing drugs or having sex or something."

Madge gave him an amused look. "I know," she said, "your mom and I have had that talk."

"You and my _mother _talk?" Gale shouted. "Jesus Christ, Undersee, do you not know _boundaries?!" _

**5.**

"No," Madge groaned suddenly, eight hours, four playlists, and two bathroom breaks later, "no, no, no, no."

Gale side-eyed her from underneath his sunglasses. He was trying to nap. "Undersee," he said in a bored voice. "If this is about a flat tire, rest assured, I do know how to change that."

"Shut up, you condescending, misogynistic, asshole," Madge muttered. "I know how to change a tire, thankyouverymuch. And jumpstart my own car. But… I'm a tad forgetful."

Gale adjusted his seat from reclining to straight-backed. "Forget…?"

Madge bit her lip. "My gas gauge has been broken for a little bit: it reads that I have more gas than I do. I think I forgot to mention it when I took my car in for an oil change before we left, because the light just came on even though the gauge says I have half a tank."

Gale looked over at their GPS. It was flickering in and out. "Where the fuck are we?"

"I don't know, we passed Lincoln a while ago," Madge said. "Shit."

"Kearney's not too far," Gale said. "Can you make it there?"

"Yeah, I think so," Madge said, and luckily they did.

"We need to take this to the shop," Gale said sternly. "We can't drive there and back with this piece of shit malfunctioning."

"Hey!" Madge frowned. "It's not a piece of shit, and your part of the gas bill is substantially lower because of its advanced technology, so shut it, Hawthorne."

"Fine," Gale sighed as they pulled into a gas station before taking it to the shop. "I'll shut it."

"For now," Madge muttered.

**6.**

"It'll be ready for you tomorrow morning," the mechanic, a small man named Beetee, said.

"What?" Madge said. "Why is it going to take so long?"

Beetee sighed. "We don't really have a lot of experience fixing Prius's," he said. "And I just want to make sure everything's correct. I'm sorry."

"I suppose I appreciate your thoroughness," Madge said with a tired smile. "Recommend any places to stay tonight?"

Beetee answered about a nice inn down the street, and when Madge went to go tell Gale, she found herself alone.

Behind her was Beetee. "I think I saw your young man go towards The Hob." He pointed to the bar.

"Figures," Madge grumbled, stalking to the bar across the street. _Smart move_, she thought. _People can go drink while they wait for their cars. _

The moment she opened the door into the bar, Madge regretted it.

"Hey, sweetheart," came a call from the bar. "Come sit by me."

"Look at that tall drink of water."

"I could drink that all night long."

"The only thing you're going to be drinking is the blood coming out of your nose after I break it," came another voice and in the dim lighting Madge saw a tall, trim figure stand up.

Madge rolled her eyes. "Really, Gale?" She said. "How many have you had?"

Gale walked over, side-eyeing every single one of the four gentlemen in the bar who were ogling Madge. She watched him approach warily. He looked even more good-looking than normal, with his hair slightly disheveled from his nap and his clothes rumpled from the drive. He almost looked like… no. Don't go there.

"Just one beer and two shots," Gale said, grinning. "Come on, you need to catch up."

Madge glared at him. "Save the alcohol poisoning for Vegas," she told him. "Now settle your tab and let's go find a hotel."

At that, three of the four men catcalled and at that Madge spun around and glared them down. "Let's be clear," she told them. "Catcalling at me is not going to lengthen and/or thicken your tiny penises or inherently increase your archaic sense of masculinity. So stop wasting your paychecks on mediocre alcohol and take your overworked wives out to dinner or ask your children about their day. Be real men, instead of trying to sexually intimidate a woman young enough to be your daughter."

And with that, Madge took a flabbergasted Gale by the hand and left behind half dozen equally flabbergasted men.

They were quiet until the door slammed behind them. Gale, sobered by the chill of the night air and Madge's speech, shook his head in amazement. "You're incredible, Madge," he said. She was fantastic. Feisty and eloquent and strong. And he would never have said it out loud, but when she was telling those men off for being sexist pigs, she looked sexy as hell. Gale almost felt guilty for thinking that given the circumstances of her feistiness in the first place, but he couldn't help it. She was radiant.

He was so wrong about her being a meek pushover good-girl. He almost started to laugh, but he looked over at her and saw her eyes were focused, sharp, stormy. She wasn't smiling.

"Does that happen a lot?" He asked, quietly. "Guys doing that to you?" What a stupid question, he thought. Of course it did. Madge was gorgeous.

Madge sighed. She's always hated being hit on and ogled at and she just snapped. She'd never liked that attention and she always hated men for making her feel like that. "Yeah. Too often."

Gale's vision flashed to red for a moment. He appreciated a good-looking woman, sometimes shamelessly ogled, but he never stooped to the level of those men. His mother taught him better. He was trying to teach his brothers better.

Madge wasn't defenseless or unable to handle herself, he knew that, but he still hated it. "I'm sorry," he said, squeezing her hand, not realizing for a moment they were still holding on to each other. "About that back there. And for all the other times, too."

"Thanks," said Madge, pleasantly surprised. "I appreciate that."

Gale bumped into her shoulder and they shared a smile. "Dinner?" He said.

"_Please_," said Madge, feeling a jolt in her stomach as he placed his hand on the small of her back to guide her into a restaurant. It must be because she's hungry, she thinks. That's all it could be.

**7.**

At first it was a little weird being in the same hotel room, but the two quickly set boundaries: changing clothes in the bathroom, when in doubt, _knock_, and clothes needed to be worn at all times (this one was for Gale, who tended to walk around in nothing but boxer shorts—not that Madge really minded, but it wasn't really good for her general sanity. She and the man may have had their differences, but no matter how hard she tried, she was attracted to Gale Hawthorne—and hopefully seeing Peeta would quench that once and for all.)

Things went along fine, although it got a little weird when they were unpacking and a box of condoms fell out of Gale's duffle.

Madge raised an eyebrow. "That confident you're going to get in Katniss's pants, eh?"

Gale shrugged, smirking. "Well," he said, "I figured if not her, then someone else at least."

Madge rolled her eyes. "Man, if this is what your everlasting devotion looks like, count me out," she snarked.

"Hey," Gale protested, "if Katniss rejects me, then how I deal with it will probably be getting drunk… and getting laid. Coping mechanisms. Come on, Undersee, wouldn't you do the same thing if Mellark rejected you?"

Madge thought about it. "I would at least get very, very drunk," she said. "And if I wouldn't sleep with someone at the very least I'd be that obnoxious woman at the front row of a Chippendale's concert."

Gale's laugh boomed throughout the room. "Sometimes you're funny as hell, Undersee," he said, "in the most unexpected way."

Madge grinned at him cheekily.

As far as the rest of the night went, they didn't get drunk, but it would be a lie to say that they stayed sober all night. After dinner at a local diner with fantastic pot roast, they went to the local convenience store and purchased a couple bottles of wine to drink while watching On Demand at the inn.

Madge picked _Roman Holiday_. "If you're going to watch romantic movies, then at least watch good ones," Madge said.

"_Roman Holiday_, really?" Gale scoffed. "Well, I suppose it's fitting," he said, reading the movie summary, "considering it's about a princess."

"Just shut up and watch it," Madge said, taking a sip of wine from the plastic cups they swiped from the ice machine down the hall.

Two hours and two bottles of wine later, Madge turned to Gale, perched on the queen bed across from her with watery eyes and a satisfied smile. "Wasn't that incredible?" She gushed.

Gale was staring at the screen, gaping. "Wait, he just… He just lets her leave?"

Madge raised an eyebrow. "Well," she said slowly, "she has responsibilities, and he let her go because he loves her. He wouldn't ask her to give up who she was, her throne, and her legacy, to be with him. And although she wants to be with him, she knows that it can't work. They both know that, actually." Madge smiled at his stunned expression. "You okay, Hawthorne?"

Gale dropped his head back and stared at the ceiling. "Do you think that movie is a sign?" He said. "Like if I really loved Katniss, I should let her go?"

Madge sighed and looked at the ceiling as well. "Are you asking if we should be like Joe Bradley, Gale?"

"Well, I can't imagine Katniss as a princess," Gale said with a smile, "although I can't say the same for Mellark."

"You're calling him by his last name," Madge said. "That's progress."

Gale rolled his eyes. "What's so great about him, anyway?" He asked her.

"Gregory Peck?" Madge said innocently. "Do you want an itemized list? Because he's pretty much my idealized perfect man—tall, dark, handsome, a little brooding, really intelligent, you know, he has this rough, hardened exterior, but he really has a soft, vulnerable side to him—"

"Okay, that's not what I meant and you know it," Gale said, wondering briefly why Gregory Peck sounded so familiar to him in that moment. "I meant Mellark."

"What's so great about him?" Madge frowned. "Wait, why are you asking this?"

"I mean, Katniss is in love with him, you're in love with him… I mean, what is it about him that make girls go crazy?"

Madge made a face. "Are you… _insecure_, Hawthorne?"

"Definitely not," Gale scoffed. "I just need to figure out the competition."

Madge rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine, I'll bite. What's so great about Peeta? It reminds me of this quote that I heard: 'When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.' Peeta is the kindest, most compassionate person I've ever met. He cares so much about other people and it's completely sincere. He's also really smart, focused, and," Madge blushed here, "really, really handsome."

Gale groaned.

"Okay, whatever, if you don't think Katniss is hot, too, you're lying," Madge threw a pillow at him.

Gale looked at her. "Now would you like a list? Of what makes Katniss so great?"

Madge looked at him like he was crazy. "No," she said. "Unlike you, my competition is also my friend. I know what's great about Katniss. Which makes this that much harder for me."

"Yeah, I bet," Gale said. He hadn't thought about that. He knew Madge and Katniss were friends, but he never considered the effect on their relationship if Madge succeeded in convincing Peeta not to marry Katniss.

They were quiet for a moment.

"But you know what I really love about Peeta?" Madge asked quietly.

"Hmm?" Gale said, looking over at her.

She too was facing the ceiling, but he could tell just from looking at her profile that her blue eyes were soft, like they had been when watching Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck fall in love. "He was always there for me," she said. "When things in my life were really tough. When I was sixteen, my aunt died. I don't know if you remember that. But after that, my mom—they were so close, they were twins—she had a psychotic break. She was never the same, and neither was my dad, really. Peeta—he made life bearable for me during that time. He was the only good thing in my life then—loving him was the only good part of my life. I think that's important when you love someone, you know? You can depend on them, in good and bad."

"For better or worse," Gale murmured thoughtfully. "Yeah, I get what you mean. That's what I love about Katniss, too. When our dads died in that car accident, we had to grow up. Take care of our families. Without her, I don't know what I would've done and vice versa. That's what I want in my future wife, you know? An equal. A partner."

"A partner," Madge repeated with a smile. She had a sudden vision, of Gale as a husband. She knew he'd make a good one, somehow. "I like that."

"Well, what do you know?" Gale said. "We actually agreed on something."

"We've been around each other long enough," Madge said. "It was bound to happen eventually, right?"

"True," Gale said, drowsily. The wine was hitting him, quickly.

With blurry eyes, he looked over at Madge. She was already asleep.

_She really is beautiful_, he thought to himself. He had always known it, but this trip taught him how beautiful she was as a person, too.

He fell asleep, too, smiling.

**8.**

They were a day behind schedule, but they got an early enough start. Gale insisted on going back to the diner from the night before for breakfast because he was craving pancakes and Madge gave in with a laugh.

Breakfast was nice, actually, Madge thought later. They had joked all morning, stealing food off each other's plates and laughing constantly.

It was the nicest morning both of them had had in a long time. There was no work looming over them, the car was going to be fixed, the weather was clear and not too hot, and, though they were loath to admit it, the company was excellent.

Madge didn't think she had ever seen him smile so much; Gale couldn't stop staring at the way the morning light made her hair glitter like gold. She was prettiest when she laughed, he thought.

They hit the road shortly after and drove thirteen hours until they reached St. George, Utah. Gale and Madge had hoped to make it to Las Vegas that night, and though it was only a couple hours away, they were too exhausted to drive any further.

Despite that, they lay in the dark, both staring at the ceiling.

"Do you know what you're going to say to her when you see her?" Madge whispered.

"Not a clue," Gale said, and wondered, perhaps for the first time, if his plan was a good idea after all.


	2. 9 - 24

**9.**

"I hate it here," Gale muttered as they drove through the desert. "It's so open and quiet, it's creepy."

"I agree," Madge said. "And I hated Utah. Something about it just seems evil to me."

"Don't tell the Mormons that," Gale said with a raised eyebrow. "But I agree, weirdly."

"We've been doing that a lot," Madge laughed. "Katniss and Peeta will think we're completely different people."

Gale sighed. "I hope not," he said.

"What." Madge said flatly a moment later.

"What do you mean, what?"

"You have your brooding face on. And I know what it looks like because I certainly saw enough of it in grades six through twelve—your face was permanently fixed like that. So what are you thinking about?"

"I don't know," Gale sighed. "Just… thinking about what we talked about in that hotel in Nebraska. About what you love about Peeta. It's just… he and I are so different, you know? I'm not selfless or compassionate like him. I don't even really like people, and he's the people's man. What are we doing, Madge? Katniss clearly has a type, and I'm not it."

"Gale," Madge said. "I don't know what to tell you about what Katniss's 'type' is and all of that, but you and Peeta aren't that different. You're both selfless—you, without complaint, took care of your family after your father died. Everything you do, to this day, is with your family in mind. And like Peeta, you would do anything for the people you love. And that's what's important, okay?"

"Thanks, Madge," Gale said, feeling a little embarrassed at his vulnerable outburst.

Madge rolled her eyes, as if she knew what he was thinking. "Don't be embarrassed that you have feelings, Gale," she said. "It's very nice, actually," she said. "I feel like… we're friends now."

Gale smirked. "Don't get your hopes up, Undersee," he scoffed, but his eyes were soft when he looked at her.

**10.**

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" Gale growled to the concierge.

He looked at the glowering Gale a bit nervously. "You and Miss Undersee were booked to share a room," he said.

"With one bed?" Gale said, turning red. "Who made the reservation?"

The concierge typed in something. "Um, a Mister Peeta Mellark?"

"I'll kill him!" Raged Gale.

"Okay, okay, calm down, Incredible Hulk," Madge rolled her eyes and pulled him away from the check-in desk. "I'm sorry about him, there's a reason why we rarely let him go out in public," she told the concierge. "If you'll just excuse us one moment, we're going to double check with our friend, who made the arrangement."

The bewildered concierge watched them go over to the waiting area where Madge pulled out her phone. They arrived the same day as Katniss and Peeta and the rest of the wedding party, but much earlier in the day. If Madge's memory was correct, Peeta and Katniss were in San Francisco at the moment, waiting for their connecting flight.

She called Peeta. He picked up and sounded haggard. "Hello," he said hoarsely. "Madge? Did you make it to Vegas?"

"I did, Peeta," Madge said, and Gale noticed her voice went up a notch higher as she spoke to him, more girlish. "Thanks. Um, quick question. Gale and I are just checking in to the hotel, and the concierge told us that you booked us a single room with a single bed. There's a mistake, right?"

"Um, no?" Peeta said, puzzled. "Katniss and I thought… well, we thought you two would want it that way."

"Wait, what? Why the hell would we _want it that way_?" Madge said frantically, her voice getting higher for an entirely different reason than before.

"Um…" Peeta gulped nervously. Madge very rarely swore in his presence. Around Gale, Madge swearing was like second nature, but not around Peeta. "You two are together, aren't you?"

Madge froze. "What do you mean 'together'?" Out of the corner of her eye Madge saw Gale freeze, too.

"Well, you told me that you and Gale were coming to Vegas together," Peeta said slowly. "_Together. _And cross country, too!"

"Peeta," Madge snapped, "just because Gale and I shared a physical space together for a few days for the sake of our wallets doesn't mean we are _together _in any sense of the word!"

A very small "oh" came from the other line. "Shit," Peeta said, "I am so sorry Madge. Katniss thought you guys were a couple, too, when Gale told her. We both know that you two don't get along at all, so when we heard about this… well, that seemed like the only plausible explanation. I'm really sorry, Madge. Are there any other rooms available?"

Madge closed her eyes and began to massage her temples. "No, there aren't," she said. "We already checked."

"I'm sorry—oh, crap, I have to go, we're boarding—I'll see you later tonight, okay? At the dinner?"

"Sure," Madge said. All of their friends and family were going out to dinner the night before the wedding, which was the next day. "Have a good flight."

"All right, bye!"

Madge looked at Gale. "We'll only be here for the weekend," she said to him. "And we've shared a room the past two nights, so this shouldn't be too bad, right?"

"Not a bed, though," Gale said, eyeing her warily.

Madge rolled her eyes. "Don't look at me like I'm a 700-pound, unhygienic monster," she said. "It'll be fine. We can even build a pillow barrier, if you want."

Something in Gale twitched a little at the idea of sharing a bed with Madge Undersee. Sharing a room with her he could handle, but a bed? He never told her or let on but in the period after he and Katniss broke up he was infatuated with Madge Undersee, probably for the entirety of his senior year. She was the anti-Katniss, and that was exactly what he wanted—and perhaps needed.

There was something about her that always got under his skin, made him feel like she saw every bit of him, and even if she never made him feel that way, Gale was pretty sure he didn't add up or even remotely deserve the likes of her. He even thought about her sometimes in college, and it took him so off guard when he saw her for the first time in Chicago, he opened his mouth and said something so dick-ish it determined the entire nature of their relationship for the next few years.

He wondered from time to time how their relationship would be different if he had been friendlier back then.

Gale loved Katniss, but he had the uneasy feeling that there would always be something about Madge Undersee that unnerved him, and sharing a bed together would unlock something in him he fought to keep control over. And if there was one thing that he and Madge brought out in each other, it was a lack of control.

**11.**

Gale and Madge parted ways for a little bit after they finally checked in. Both were loners by habit, and after being confined in Madge's little Prius for three days, desperately needed time by themselves.

Madge went to the pool and swam and napped in the sun and Gale went to the slots and, to his pleasant surprise, won a couple thousand dollars.

When he got back to the hotel, whistling and walking in jauntily a couple hours before the dinner, he found Madge, dressed in only a robe, staring at two dresses laid out on the bed.

"Jesus, Undersee, shouldn't you have put like a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door or something, so I would know to enter with caution?" Gale said, feeling alarmed at the knowledge that under that robe Madge probably wore very, very little. When they shared rooms together previously they always changed in the bathroom so he never had this problem (thank god). He suddenly felt more suffocated now, in this room that was significantly nicer and larger than any of the rooms they were in.

Madge rolled her eyes. "Ok, stop pretending like you've never seen a girl semi-naked before, and get over here, Slag Heap Slut."

Gale scowled at the name, but did as she asked. He was in too good a mood from his winnings.

"I brought two nicer dresses for this occasion," Madge explained. "One for tonight and one for the actual wedding. Both were designed to make me look sexy, but classy, but I just don't know which to pick."

One was a long maxi dress, lavender colored, with a mostly sheer skirt, a solid mini skirt underneath that came to about mid-thigh. The other was a cobalt blue, shorter and flowy, but the straps were thin and judging from the intricately laced back, Madge was very limited for bra options.

Gale gulped. He definitely shouldn't be thinking in terms of Madge's bras.

"Wear the blue one tonight," he said, still staring at it. "The purple one tomorrow."

"Okay, thanks," Madge smiled.

Gale raised his eyebrows. "You actually going to take my advice?" He said. "Most girls tend to do the exact opposite of what their—of what guys suggest."

Madge smirked. "I trust your opinion," she said, heading to the bathroom to change, "you always are spotted with hot girls, anyway. You know what looks good."

"Those girls aren't as hot as you," he muttered before he could stop himself.

"Did you say something?" Madge called.

"Nope," Gale said quickly. "Nothing at all."

"So how are we going to do this?" Madge asked. "How are we going to get them alone tonight? We're both going to be out—for the bachelor and bachelorette parties." Luckily for both of them, Katniss and Peeta had siblings to fulfill the Maid and Man of Honor spots, so they didn't have anything to do but show up.

"Shit, I don't know," Gale ran his hand over his face. "We should try and have the groups meet up. Wasn't Prim planning on that anyway?"

"I think so," Madge said. "That's what Peeta and Katniss wanted. We're going to meet up at some club, I think?"

She came out of the bathroom. "This will work for club attire, I hope. What do you think?" She twirled around, her skirt flying.

Gale gulped again, feeling light headed, like he had heat stroke. "Perfect," he croaked.

Madge cocked an eyebrow at his expression. "Don't tell me you're getting cold feet about this, Hawthorne," Madge laughed, misinterpreting it completely. "That's usually the _actual _bride and groom's jobs."

To his credit, Gale had enough control to merely think and not actually say, _There's nothing cold about me when I look at you, sweetheart. _

He shook his head. What was wrong with him? He'd always kept his level of attraction to Undersee under control and now it's flaring up like a wildfire just hours before he planned on declaring his love to another woman?

Whatever happened, Gale knew that after this trip he needed to not see Madge Undersee for a very long time. Being around her wasn't good for his state of mind.

**12.**

Katniss and Peeta's wedding party was like a high school reunion in probably the worst way possible, thought Gale.

Except for Madge and Delly, everyone ended up going to the same in-state college, but afterwards, everyone split—Finnick and Annie went to San Diego, Katniss and Peeta to Seattle, Delly and Thom to Austin, and Johanna and Thresh to New Orleans and Boston, respectively.

While Gale was enjoying catching up with Thom, he felt sorry for Madge, who was being cornered by Delly. He remembered that on the way to Vegas Madge confessed that she felt like a terrible person but Delly Cartwright, sweet, adorable, Delly Cartwright, annoyed the shit out of her.

Gale had laughed. "Now you know how I feel about Mellark!" He said.

Madge glared at him. "Not the same thing," she said. "Peeta, at least, knows when to shut up. Delly doesn't. And she says really cringe-inducing things and has no idea how mortifying she sounds because she has no idea what she's doing wrong. She genuinely has your best interests at heart and think she's doing good. But she's not. She's absolutely terrible at reading people and taking social cues. And I feel so horrible about not wanting to talk to her and avoiding her! I can keep my cool around a lot of people—" Gale snorted at this; Madge ignored him, "but something about Delly sets me on edge."

Gale recalled those words now as he saw Madge's uneasy expression as Delly was talking to her, arms gesturing wildly. There was a wild panic in her eyes and her pasted smile was starting to crack.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his family come in. They took the same flight as the Mellark's and the Everdeen's. Gale excused himself from Thom and was about to go greet them, when he had an idea.

He walked to Madge and Delly, the latter of whom had her back to him. Gale saw Madge raise her eyebrows at him briefly and heard Delly say, "… Well, if you want me to talk to Taftan, I totally will! I mean, I know you're still single, right? Between you and me, Taftan has had a crush on you for _ages_… well, I mean, he did when we were all in school together, anyway. But I saw the way he looked at you when you walked in, so I'm 98 percent sure he still does! Do you want me to-?"

"Hello, ladies." Gale didn't want to hear about Patty-Cake Peeta's brother making eyes at Madge (for the record, Taftan definitely did have a thing for Madge, ogling her the moment she came in, and it was _not _in any way respectful or a way that Madge would approve of; Gale glared at him until he turned away). And he _definitely _didn't want to know what Madge's response was. He hoped he was doing the right thing.

They both turned to him, Delly's eyes wide. "Gale," she squeaked.

"Delly," Gale said cordially. He turned to Madge. "Hey, my family's here, and I'm sure Posy's dying to talk to you…" He put his hands in his pockets and cocked his head toward them, eyebrows raised.

Delly flushed, and Gale resisted the urge to smirk. He knew exactly what he was doing when he made that gesture.

Madge rolled her eyes, but she had a pleased sparkle in her eyes. "Thanks, Gale," she said sweetly. "How thoughtful of you." And the weird part was, she wasn't even being sarcastic.

"Anything for you, Princess," Gale said, and Delly almost melted—she was 99 percent sure that Gale had no idea how he was looking at Madge, as though his statement wasn't sarcasm either, but completely, entirely sincere.

**13. **

Dinner was… weird. Gale and Madge said a brief hello to Katniss and Peeta, respectively, but with everyone else there they had no alone time with them.

She didn't know about Gale, but Madge observed them throughout the meal at the very nice restaurant. They couldn't keep their eyes—or hands—off of each other. Whether it was holding hands or Katniss brushing something off Peeta's lips, or Peeta playing with the end of Katniss's braid, they were completely, hopelessly in love, and Madge wondered if she would have the guts to confess her love to Peeta. Daydreaming about Peeta on the way here was one thing; seeing Katniss and Peeta together in the flesh made guilt and confusion well up in her like flooding water. She almost felt sick at the thought. But what if she didn't do it? Would she end up regretting that? Which would she regret more—action or inaction?

As for Gale, he had noticed them and they were their usual lovey dopey selves, but he couldn't help but feel—a little hollow, somehow. When he saw Katniss, looking very pretty in an emerald green sun dress, he didn't get that feeling he normally did when he saw a girl he liked, let alone loved. There was no punch to his gut, a fluttering in his stomach. His heart didn't start to beat faster, or any of the other things that were supposed to happen.

He felt confused and a little lost. What did this mean? That he didn't love Katniss? That didn't feel right, either.

Gale looked at Madge, who was sitting to his left, talking with Posy. Those two really did have a weird relationship, but Gale felt better about it, too. He could talk with Vick and Rory and answer all their questions and give them awkward things like "The Talk" and all that, but with Posy Gale was so out of his element. And yeah, Posy had his mom, but Madge was right, his mom was intimidating as hell and Madge Undersee was a damn good role model. He couldn't ask for anyone better for Posy to look up to, really, as weird as it was.

His mother, who was sitting on his other side, leaned over and whispered, "Are you sure you and Madge aren't together?"

Gale turned to her, rolling his eyes. "For the last time, Ma, we just _drove _together, we're not actually together."

Hazelle pursed her lips together. "Too bad," was all she said.

Gale eyed her suspiciously. "Why?" He said warily.

Hazelle shrugged. "If you don't see it," she said simply, "I'm not going to be the one to tell you. You'll just have to figure it out for yourself."

**14. **

Gale watched the strippers in front of him writhe on the pole, bored. Peeta's brothers, Tweedle Foghorn (he was an obnoxious jack-ass) and Tweedle Fuck-Up (self-explanatory, really), took the small group of gentlemen to a gentleman's club, which was ridiculous, because even Gale, who barely tolerated Katniss's fiancé, knew that he would absolutely abhor the idea of a strip club.

He was right.

Tweedle Fuck-Up, in typical fashion, bought his younger brother a lap dance, and Mellark, in typical fashion, looked like a dumb fuck with his hands up in the air like he was about to be arrested by the police. His eyes kept darting to and from the woman's jiggling breasts.

Gale rolled his eyes. There was only so much embarrassment a man could take for the night.

He walked over to Peeta and slumped down next to him, finishing the last of his rum and coke. "Your brothers are the dumbest fucks if they think you're having fun," he said to the man of night. "Let's ditch this place and go to that club and meet up with the girls. We all know that's what you want, anyway."

Peeta raised an eyebrow at him as the stripper finally climbed off the uninterested groom-to-be. "I don't think I've ever agreed with anything you've said more," he said clearly.

Gale scowled. Saint Mellark wasn't even drunk.

Regardless, he stood up and announced to the small group, "Okay, settle your tabs, we're going." At Tweedle Foghorn's open mouth, Gale pointed his finger at him. "Don't even start," he said. "Your brother's not having fun, the stripper's aren't even that hot—no offense, sweetheart—and well, that's about it, but those two reasons are good enough."

When they were outside in the warm Vegas air, Peeta turned to him and said quietly, "Thanks, man," he said. "I appreciated that."

Gale sighed. Fuck, it really _was_ hard to hate this guy. His head was getting blurrier and he was really starting to question what the point was of confessing his love to Katniss tonight—_because you love her and it's your last chance, dip shit_, he thought.

Right, of course.

**15. **

He spotted her when they walked in the club—it wasn't too crowded or too loud, yet and Gale couldn't help it, he smiled. Well, until he saw a bunch of guys around her, hitting on her and trying to put their hands on her bare shoulders.

He saw red and was about to go there and break some hands, but he stopped a few feet away. If there was one thing Gale knew about her, it was that Madge Undersee could handle herself.

Her ice queen tendencies came out when she froze the one touching her with a glare and deliberately pried his hand off of her. "Aww, come on, Princess, don't be so stuck up," said the grease ball with a needling smile.

Madge picked her drink up from the bar and turned around, ignoring the man. She saw Gale, and smiled, a real one with more warmth than he would have thought possible from the Ice Queen. He smiled back.

Gale was close enough to hear her say over her shoulder, "There's only one man who can call me 'Princess'," she said clearly, "and it sure as hell isn't you."

She walked up to Gale, smile still in place. "Well, well, well," she said, "don't you smell like a whore house."

Gale gestured to her drink, grin growing at her words and tone. "Drunk already, Undersee? I see your Sassy showing."

Madge tilted her head. "Haven't you learned anything in the past few days?" She said. "It seems like around you, drunk or sober, I'm always sassy."

Though buzzed, Gale was still able to think about her statement and realize with a jolt that it was true. Over the past few days, he didn't see one bit of the usual, uptight Undersee he had grown to know. The girl he drove over with was feisty, sassy, sexy, and strong… and he realized he liked it. Too much.

He swallowed. "And what did you ladies get into?"

"Exactly what I had hoped for," Madge smirked, "a front row seat to a Chippendale's show."

Gale laughed loudly. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "You're something else, Undersee."

Madge was about to say something, when she froze, a half-smile on her face.

Gale looked down at the hand on his elbow. It was Katniss, with her usual hesitant half-smile on her face. "Hey," she said to her childhood best friend. "I haven't seen you all day, it feels like."

Gale swallowed, stiffening a little bit. He was drunker than he thought, if he was relaxed around Madge and uncomfortable around Katniss. What the hell? "Yep," he said, "seems like it."

The three of them stood there for a moment before Katniss said, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Madge raised her eyebrows and was about to step away, when Katniss said, "And Madge… Peeta is looking for you, too."

"Where is he?" Madge asked.

"Rooftop, I think," Katniss said.

Madge rolled her eyes. "There _would_ be a rooftop," she muttered, knowing Peeta's penchant for them, before leaving to find it.

Gale watched her go for a moment before turning to Katniss. "So where are we going?" He said.

Katniss shrugged, looking around with a little unease. This wasn't her type of place. "Let's take a walk," she said.

**16. **

Madge huffed as she finally climbed up the ladder. Normally she was quite in-shape and this would've been nothing, but she was in wedges and trying to hold her skirt shut with one hand so pervs wouldn't look up it, and this combination was deadly and miserable.

Peeta was standing at the rooftop, watching over the Vegas skyline. He turned at the sound of her huffing and puffing and smiled. "Hey, you made it."

Madge rolled her eyes. "Barely," she muttered.

In response to that, Peeta laughed. "You're so funny lately," he said, "like, really sassy and sarcastic. I think you've been hanging out with Gale too much."

Madge suddenly remembered that Gale was out with Katniss at that moment, probably confessing his love to her, and for some reason, that made her feel sick, as though she had too much to drink and was dizzy and nauseous at the same time.

"Can't argue with that," she said lightly.

Peeta smiled his little half-smile. "I'm really sorry about the hotel room thing," he said, "I'm sure that's really awkward. But…"

Madge raised an eyebrow. "But?"

"It's just," Peeta said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, "are you sure you two aren't together? I mean, he saved you from Delly today and pulled you over to his family. That's pretty big for Gale."

Madge scoffed. "Posy and I are pen pals, you know that," she deflected.

Peeta shook his head. "That's not just it," he said. "It's the way he looks at you, you know? Like how he can't believe you're real."

Madge felt herself start to flush. "Gale doesn't look at me like that," she muttered.

Peeta grinned at her knowingly. "If you say so," he said lightly, dropping the subject. Peeta wasn't one to pry.

Soon, though, his smile faded and he looked out again towards the skyline. He sighed.

Madge peered at him. "What's up, Peet?" She said, nudging his shoulder.

Peeta turned to Madge. "Am I doing the right thing, Madge?" He said. "With this wedding?"

Madge was stunned; she never thought she'd hear those words come out of Peeta's mouth. "What—what?" She stuttered. "Are you… having second thoughts about marrying Katniss?"

Peeta's eyes grew big, "No, no, no!" He said, waving his hands around wildly. "Definitely not," he laughed, running his hands through his hair. "I mean, I've only dreamed about marrying her since I was five years old," he confessed. "But… this wedding… it's not what either of us really want, you know? I had always hoped our wedding would be at home, with all of our friends and family, something simple. Not like—" he swept his hand towards the skyline, "like this. Glitzy and fake. What do you think, Madge?" he looked at her, "Are we doing the right thing?"

Madge bit her lip. This was her chance to tell Peeta to call it off, if not to confess her love to him, then to buy herself some more time, at the very least. She considered it an honor that Peeta still valued her opinion so much as to ask her something that, well, he honestly should have been consulting with Katniss about.

But looking at Peeta, Madge knew in that moment that she wasn't in love with him—that sure, she had been at some point in her life, but now she only loved him dearly as a friend. She knew now that she needed to let him go, to realize and accept that while she would always be dear to him, Katniss was his best friend now. If she really loved him, as a friend and as her biggest supporter, she needed to do right by him. She needed to let him go, in more ways than one.

"I guess it really depends, Peeta, how important the actual ceremony is to you," Madge said quietly, with a sad smile at what she was doing, the old dreams she was giving up. "But the thing is, I think that you still have what you want—your friends and family are here, and at the end of tomorrow, Katniss will be your wife, what you've always wanted. Isn't that the most important thing?"

Peeta smiled as he looked at her. "You're right," he said, his smile turning rueful. "As always."

"Damn straight," Madge said, nudging him again. "And besides, there's always a vow renewal ceremony, right?"

Peeta threw his arm around her companionably. "What would I do without you, Madge?" He said, kissing her head affectionately.

"I hope we never find out, Peeta," Madge said, winding her arm around his waist, squeezing him into a side hug.

In her heart she knew she did the right thing, and it made her so heady with relief she felt light-headed; she knew in that moment who she was actually in love with. And it scared the shit out of her.

**17.**

"I don't know what's more crowded," Gale joked as he and Katniss winded their way through the crowds, "the club or the sidewalk."

It was spring break for several colleges and the streets were teeming with people trying to get to a show or a club or a restaurant.

"We're definitely not in Kansas anymore," Katniss deadpanned.

Gale smirked. "You picked a hell of a place for a wedding, Catnip," he said.

She sighed. "I'll just be glad when it's all over."

Gale perked up a little at her forlorn tone. "What's the matter, Catnip," he said, "getting cold feet?"

Katniss scowled at him. "No," she said forcefully. "Definitely not." She shook her head. "Peeta is… he's everything to me."

Gale nearly stopped walking. Katniss wasn't one for romantic declarations and this was as close to one as he was going to get. "Yeah?" He croaked.

He looked sideways at her, saw her flush a little. "Yeah," she said softly. "He's… he's the best thing that ever happened to me. I can't imagine life without him." She looked at Gale, a little embarrassed. "I know you don't like him that much," she said, "or rather, you're so stubborn and protective that you blanket judge any guys that Prim or I have brought home."

Gale grumbled, but he knew there was truth in her words.

"I just wanted to say thanks for being great about this whole thing," Katniss said. "I know it's not ideal, and some people think we're moving too fast, but you've always been supportive in your own way and I really appreciate that."

Gale almost gaped at her. He knew his best friend was oblivious, but to think he was even remotely supportive took it to a whole new level. Although, to be fair, he had held his tongue about the wedding, for the most part. He suspected other people were probably more vocal about it, particularly hers and Peeta's mothers. His own mother thought Katniss was pregnant, hence the quick wedding, but this theory was quickly shot down when she saw Katniss drink champagne at dinner the night before.

"And Peeta told me what you did for him, at the strip club," Katniss continued. "Thanks for doing that; I know a little part of you probably enjoyed seeing him so uncomfortable."

Gale smirked; it was true.

"I hope you know, Gale," Katniss said, "that Peeta will be my husband, but that doesn't mean you and I have to stop being best friends."

Gale sighed. Oh, Catnip. "As your husband, Peeta is your best friend," Gale told her, "at least he should be. But I get what you mean," he smirked. "After all, Mellark is the _worst_ hunter. I'm obviously going to be your hunting partner forever."

Katniss laughed, clearly relieved. "Right?" she said. "He couldn't walk quietly if his life depended on it."

They turned back a few minutes later to the club and once they were inside did Gale realize what he just happened: instead of telling Katniss how he felt, he gave her his blessing of her and Mellark's wedding. He let her go.

Well, shit.

**18.**

Madge knew things were going to end up badly that night when she saw Gale at the bar with Thom taking shots.

_"If Katniss rejects me, then how I deal with it will probably be getting drunk."_

Her heart sunk. Oh, Gale.

Before she could slink away and find Katniss and Delly, Gale saw her. "Madge," he called, "come join the fun!"

Madge sighed, going over there. "Hey, Thom," she said. "Gale."

"Undersee," Thom greeted. "I don't know what's up with this guy, but he's making it his personal mission to get plastered." He looked over the top of her head. "See Delly anywhere?"

Madge shook her head. "You can go look for her if you want," she said, "I'll stay with him."

Thom smirked. "Yeah, I hear you two got stuck in the same room," he said, "so I guess that'll be convenient, huh? Well, I have my phone on me so let me know if you need help with him, okay?"

Madge smiled. "Thanks, Thom, I will," she said as he got up and left.

She sat down next to Gale. "So I take it didn't go well?"

Gale, not a man of many words, just shook his head. "You?"

Madge shrugged. "Couldn't do it," she said, not wanting to talk about it. "I just… I let him go."

Gale pushed a shot her way. "Let's do this thing right then, Princess," he said with a sad smirk.

Madge thought for a moment. Her night had gone like this: she had a talk with her best friend, who she thought she was in love with, only to realize that she wasn't in love with him, after all—hadn't been since they were teenagers, really—and was only confused and jealous about her place in his new life. Once that was settled, she immediately realized she was in love with someone else—was in love with, of course, the guy who had just gotten rejected by the bride of her best friend, one she was, to quote Delly, 98 percent sure only tolerated her, barely liked her, and certainly didn't love her.

She deserved a drink tonight. Hell, she deserved to drink a whole keg tonight.

"Our hotel is only a few blocks away," she reasoned, "so why the hell not?"

After all, what's the worst that could happen, right?

**19. **

Several shots and three mixed drinks later, Gale found out another strange, new development to drinking alcohol: along with nausea, blurry vision, and a total loss of inhibitions, he strangely couldn't keep his hands off Madge Undersee.

It started out casually—his hand on the small of her back to keep the creepers away (he knew he could take care of herself, that didn't mean he didn't want to help her out every once in a while), a finger stroking the inside of her wrist as they talked to Johanna and Thresh, not wanting to let go of her hand when Delly and Annie pulled her off to dance.

Things escalated when she started to touch back. Her arm around his waist to steady herself, her hand touching the back of his neck lightly as she stood up, her lips on his ear when the club became so loud that they couldn't hear each other, even when shouting.

She was driving him crazy and despite his high alcohol in-take he was hard as a rock, wanting no other high than her. And granted, maybe it wasn't the classiest thing to do, but when she came out of the bathroom, he was waiting for her in the hallway.

"Gale, what—" she squinted, equally as intoxicated.

He turned her and put her back against the wall, and slowly pushed his hips into hers and ground into her, just a little bit, his grey eyes, so dark they looked black, boring into hers. "I can't control it any more, Madge," he said, pleading with her

Almost instantly she understood, her confusion morphing into arousal and she moaned, loudly. "Gale, _yes_" she breathed.

And that was all the signal he needed to put her face in his hands and kiss her, and once he did, they couldn't stop, soon his hands were sliding down and grabbing her ass while she tore her fingers into his hair and down his back.

"Let's go," she gasped as he attacked her neck.

"Text Thom that we're leaving," he said, tracing the shell of her ear with his tongue.

"Ok, hold on," she said, pushing him away to dig her phone out of her bra and text Thom. The minute she knew it was received, she stashed the phone and turned to him, with an eyebrow raised. "Ready to put that box of condoms to good use?"

"Fuck, I love Sassy Undersee," he muttered, pulling her into his arms again.

Thank goodness the hotel wasn't very far away, and even then it was difficult for them to keep their bearings, glassy eyed as they were. Madge was glad she wore wedges and not heels—they were infinitely easier to balance in.

"Now I'm really glad we're in the same hotel room," Madge laughed as Gale opened their door, his hand still on the small of her back.

"Me too, Princess," he grinned. He pulled her to him again, pulling one strap of her dress down, following the line with his lips and tongue. "I've been wanting to do that all night," he admitted, hissing as she finished unbuttoning his shirt, throwing it off his shoulders and running her nails lightly down his back. "Couldn't stand seeing those other guys with their hands on your shoulders, trying to claim you like that."

"Well, you did a fine job trying to claim me yourself," she said, sucking on his ear lobe and running her hands through his hair.

"Oh, you haven't seen me claim you yet," Gale assured her with a dark grin, palming her breasts through her dress.

"Shut up and put your money where your mouth is then, Hawthorne," Madge smirked, beginning to unbutton his pants.

"Oh, I'll put it there," Gale said her with a smirk, lowering her other strap down, "and then I'll put something else there, too."

**20.**

Thank god Madge set three alarms the night before, otherwise she would've ended up missing the wedding completely. She woke up to find herself nestled into Gale Hawthorne's side, head on his arm, which was wrapped around her shoulder. She had thrown an arm over his very delectable torso and a leg over his, the latter of which was a bad idea because she was quite sore in the leg (and in between) area.

Her head was pounding, but her eyes popped open. Oh, god. She and Gale—had sex. Not once. Not twice, but three times the night before. Holy crap, she thought alcohol was supposed to dull erections, not cause them.

And granted, it was the best sex of her life with a man she was infatuated with, but that didn't mean anything, not really.

_ Madge raised an eyebrow. "That confident you're going to get in Katniss's pants, eh?" _

_ Gale shrugged, smirking. "Well," he said, "I figured if not her, then someone else at least… If Katniss rejects me, then how I deal with it will probably be getting drunk… and getting laid. Coping mechanisms."_

Oh, God. She had just become one of his 'coping mechanisms'. She was just 'someone else'. This didn't mean anything. How could she have been so stupid last night?

Right, well, she was confused and a little heartbroken and relieving that UST her Chicago friends were actually right about took precedent over common sense and logic.

She needed to go, in more ways than one. Firstly, she had to get away from this man before he woke up. She really didn't want a rejection first thing in the morning. Secondly, she was supposed to go get ready with Katniss and the girls. And thirdly, she really needed to pee.

Madge Undersee had coping mechanisms, too, and the chief among them was running away. So she quietly snuck out of bed (he was built like a rock and slept like a rock, thank god) went to the bathroom, gathered her dress, shoes, undergarments and make-up, and snuck out, closing the door softly behind her.

**21.**

Gale stretched as he woke. It was a Vegas miracle—he felt more well-rested and relaxed than he had in weeks, and he had no hangover. Life was good.

He reached over for Madge, but felt nothing but cool sheets. Cool. Which meant she hadn't been there for a while.

He sat up and opened his eyes, frowning. Where did she go? He looked at the clock. Two hours before the Everdeen-Mellark wedding. That made sense; he knew she was getting ready with Katniss. He went to the mini-fridge and got a bottle of water, a nagging feeling in his stomach that something was off.

Why didn't Madge wake him? It was one thing for them to have sex once and call it a night, get it out of their systems—but they had sex three times and he still wanted more. This was definitely not a "hit it and quit it" situation. He thought having sex three times at least warranted a "kiss good-bye".

As much as he absolutely abhorred the phrase "we need to talk" he and Madge needed to do it. Because his brain and his heart were clear and he knew now why he didn't get butterflies seeing Katniss, or was absolutely okay with letting her marry Mellark, even going so far as to giving her his (sort-of) blessing.

It was because he was in love with Madge.

Madge Undersee—determined, uptight, brave, with a Princess complex, but smart, generous, a little lonely, strong, feisty, and so, so sexy—was exactly what he wanted, not to mention what he needed.

Gale knew now what his mother was talking about the night before: he and Madge balanced each other out; he got her to lighten up and she got him to open up. Everyone kept asking how it was they weren't together and now he was finally seeing what everyone else saw.

He just hoped Madge saw it as well.

**22. **

She wouldn't look at him.

They were standing across from each other, both being in the groom and bridal parties (Madge being on Peeta's side and Gale on Katniss's, of course) but she refused to look at him, keeping her eyes steadfast somewhere slightly above the minister's head.

Gale fought to keep his composure, holding his hands tightly and clenching his jaw at her behavior, and worse, at what her behavior meant.

She regretted it. It was damn clear that she regretted it, and it hurt him worse than the idea of Katniss marrying Peeta—times a thousand, because Madge should have been his. There was no one else in the picture, as far as he knew, and his heart ached when he thought of how good they were together—of her sassy one-liners; of her standing up for herself in bars; of them laughing at breakfast in the sunshine; of watching cheesy, sad romantic movies in hotel rooms; of vulnerable conversations; of how it felt being together last night, how her hand fit perfectly in his, and his body felt so good with hers.

Gale swallowed, his eyes stormy. What was it about him that women didn't want? Sure, he was good for a quick fuck, clearly, but apparently not as someone to be serious about, to want.

Shit, he needed to get over this pity party, stat. Madge was just one woman, singular, not plural. There were plenty of women in Chicago who would love to go out with him, but the idea of being with one of them, of sharing himself like he did with Madge, seemed unthinkable.

Regardless, they needed to talk about this, clear the air. Hell, they were driving back to Chicago together! He didn't fancy a 25-hour drive filled with awkward silences and regret.

He'd bide his time, he thought, until after the wedding, when they could be alone.

**23. **

If anyone had asked, Madge couldn't have told him or her if the wedding ceremony was beautiful or even if the minister used the line "speak now or forever hold your peace" because she was too busy trying not to cry—or look at Gale.

Things at the wedding reception, a small, quick early dinner, weren't much better, but at least Gale wasn't trying to catch her eye like he was during the ceremony. He stayed mostly with his family, spending time with them, since everyone was leaving the next day to fly back home.

She obligingly danced with Taftan Mellark, although his hands felt too big and clammy on her back and she felt her skin crawl a little. He wasn't Gale. She talked with Annie and Delly and wished Peeta and Katniss well. She spent time talking with Posy and artfully evaded all questions and mentions of her and Gale as a couple, studiously ignoring Thom's wink. Madge was pretty sure he knew what she and Gale were up to the night before.

Once they saw Katniss and Peeta off—they were spending a few days before Katniss's grad school classes started in Hawaii, a wedding present courtesy of Peeta's parents—Madge said her good-nights, pleading a hangover headache (which had been gone since noon) and headed upstairs to pack. If she was lucky she could do all that and be asleep by the time Gale came back…

She had just finished with her toiletries when she heard the door click and Gale stepped in, shutting it quietly behind him. Her back to him, Madge froze.

He took a few steps into the room and Madge waited, silent, with bated breath.

"You know we need to talk, right?" He said quietly.

Madge turned around slowly. Gale looked at her through his dark fringe, hands stuffed in his pockets, shoulders slumped. He looked resigned, steeled.

"We don't need to," she answered lowly. "Really, Gale."

Gale barked out a laugh and Madge flinched because it was bitter. "I don't know about you," he said, "but I don't fancy being in a car with you for 30 hours in total awkward silence. So we're going to settle things right now."

Madge sighed, crossing her arms over her chest protectively. "Fine," she said. "Let's talk."

Gale breathed out slowly. "Look," he said, "it's clear that you regret last night. That's—that's fine. But we can't just—"

Madge frowned. "I didn't regret it," she blurted.

Gale paused, confused. "What?"

"I didn't regret it," Madge repeated. "Last night. Look, I know what last night was. That's why we don't need to talk about it. We're on the same page."

"Clearly we're not," Gale said firmly. "What do you mean, 'I know what last night was'?"

Madge rolled her eyes. "Come on, Gale," she said. "Remember? Your 'coping mechanisms' for getting rejected by Katniss? Getting drunk and getting laid?"

Gale gaped at her. "I didn't get rejected by Katniss last night!"

"You didn't?"

"No. I was like you… I didn't do it, either. She just kept talking about how grateful she was to have my support for her quick wedding and how Peeta was her world, and blah blah blah." Gale shook his head. "I'd never seen her so happy, and I knew that she wouldn't be that happy with me, on the off off_ off_ chance she would call off her wedding, break up with Peeta, and get together with me." He scoffed. "My dreams of her and I were nothing but delusions," he looked at Madge. Coming into this room he hadn't expected on telling her how he felt, so sure he was that she didn't even remotely feel the same. But there was something about the way she was looking at that gave him hope. And he remembered his motto: 'big risk, big reward'. He couldn't think of a bigger risk—or a bigger reward, than her.

"But you know what?" Gale continued, straightening, standing up taller, looking at Madge fully. "I'm okay with that. Because I found something better than a dream. I found something—someone—who's real."

His grey eyes pierced her and Madge felt like she couldn't breathe.

"And I know this might seem sudden or weird to you, but I didn't sleep with you last night because I was heartbroken or trying to cope—I slept with you because I couldn't help myself, because I couldn't stop myself from wanting to be near you, because… well, I'm crazy about you."

Madge started to tear up and gave him a watery, radiant smile. "You are?"

Gale wasn't good at making big speeches and didn't know what else to say to convince her, so he simply said, "Yeah, I am."

But Madge didn't need a big speech. She saw what he wanted to say when she looked at him. How he couldn't keep his hands still because he was nervous. How wide his smile was; how tenderly he looked at her.

Madge, usually so eloquent and composed, had nothing else to say either. She was speechless, too, and luckily Gale knew her well enough to know she felt the same—but in case he had any lingering doubts, the act of Madge throwing her arms around him and kissing him removed any of them.

"Man, am I glad that we have this hotel room another night," Madge murmured as Gale kissed down her neck.

"We can go out tonight again if you want," Gale said, giving her a kiss on her jawline while she loosened his dress shirt. "I know everyone else is."

Madge made a face. "I _hate _Vegas," she said. "And everything I've ever wanted is right here with me."

Gale hid his face in her neck to try and conceal the overwhelming sense of joy he felt, but Madge felt his smile in her skin anyway.

**24. **

They had breakfast with his family, and it was all Hazelle could do not to tell her son "told you so" as she saw Gale's hand clearly grab Madge's on top of the table. She settled for her usual sardonic eye brow raise and Gale settled for his usual irritated scowl, but all in all, everyone was so pleased at the pairing that Gale and Madge were left relatively unscathed, even by a smirking Thom and a gleeful Delly.

After saying good-bye to the Hawthorne's, Madge and Gale checked out and the little white Prius was brought around to the front. Gale felt reluctant to go back to Chicago. Despite its ups and downs, the little trip felt like a mini-vacation and he wasn't quite ready to say good-bye.

"How do you feel about calling in sick next week, Princess?" He asked as they loaded up their things.

Madge frowned at him, not sure about his tone. "I've never called in sick at my job before," she said. It had been three years since she'd been at the job, too. Maybe she needed to. Sick leave only rolled over for so long before she started to lose it…

As if he could read her mind, Gale said, "Great! You must have a lot saved up, then. So do I."

Madge side-eyed him as they got in the car. "What are you saying, Hawthorne?"

Gale patted his pockets, where his winnings from their first day in Vegas were stashed. "I can't give you a Roman Holiday," he told her seriously, "as much as I would like to. But I do have enough for a trip to the beach. What do you say, Madge? Spend a few days in San Diego, maybe a day trip to Disneyland… I'll even thrown in a crown, make the Princess thing official."

Madge laughed, unable to remember the last time she was so happy. "That explains why Posy made me this playlist with a bunch of Disney songs on it…"

Gale grinned. "You're not the only one who talks to my sister."

"All right, Hawthorne," Madge said, giving him a loud peck on the cheek. "I'm in."

And so the Princess and her surly Prince rode off in to the Vegas sunset in her white Prius, the lights from the strip glowing behind them and the stars above sparkling like glitter.

**End. **


End file.
